


Five Times Leon and Hop Almost Kiss

by saans



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: 5+1 Things, Awkwardness, Festivals, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Pining, Post-Game(s), Sibling Incest, Slice of Life, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, hop is 16 leon is 22, idk if i can emphasize the fluff tag enough, very slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:33:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22979182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saans/pseuds/saans
Summary: ... and the one time they do.Leon and Hop spend the day together at Wyndon's annual summer festival.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Hop
Comments: 9
Kudos: 66





	1. First, Second, Third

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally supposed to be for valentines day. i was also aiming for 3-4k words AND just one chapter...? im not sure what happened LOL. but alas.
> 
> please enjoy!

\----- i ----- i -----

Today was the day of the annual summer festival, the Wyndon Gale. It was a weekend long event with festivities like carnival games, Pokemon battles, shopping stalls, and more.

Leon attended the Gale every year since becoming Champion and moving to Wyndon-- but he wasn’t there for the events. His job was primarily to host fan meet-n-greets and signings. Since he no longer held his title however, this year would be the first time he’d be able to spend the festival as a regular attendee, free of obligations.

It would also be the first time he’d be spending it with Hop. And Leon had been looking forward to this occasion for weeks.

They had both agreed to meet up and spend a fun day together at the Gale, as they finally both had some time off. If there was one thing Leon was grateful for no longer being Champion, is that he had more freedom with his spare time. And with that spare time, he wanted to spend as much of it as he could on Hop. They didn’t get enough time with each other when Leon was still Champion and Hop was undergoing the gym challenge, after all.

 _And that’s the only reason,_ he told himself. It was natural to miss his brother so much, and to think of him daily even when they were apart. And it was natural to lose sleep from the excitement of finally getting to spend time with someone he loved so deeply.

Brotherly love, of course. They just had a strong bond like that.

Or… at least Leon did. He didn’t know if Hop felt the same way about him.

When he thought of Hop, he thought about just how far he had come from when he was just a beginning trainer-- to now, a keen professor-in-training. Leon could feel his heart swell. He had always known Hop had talent, but now he was really shining through, and he could feel his immense pride and adoration for him start to rise, and wow, Hop really was something and he loved him so--

Leon stamped out that train of thought before it could go any further, and he felt the need to cover his slowly blushing face. Today he would try to put those feelings aside and focus on just spending time with his brother. Nothing else.

Leon waited patiently, leaning against the wall of the station and occasionally checking his phone as Hop texted him updates. _Getting off the train now! Meet you outside!_ his last message read.

And as a large crowd emerged from out of the station doors, Leon kept his eyes peeled as he waited, scanning faces for his brother’s familiar face, and then-- there, he spotted him. He could see him several meters away, looking around and swinging his head from side to side.

“Oi! Hop!” Leon called out to him. Hop’s head swiveled back towards him, looking confused for the briefest of moments, but then he burst into that big, classic Hop smile.

Leon felt his heart skip. That was the smile that could brighten his day. He would never grow tired of it.

Hop made his way through the crowd and towards Leon, but as he grew near, he choked out a laugh that he hid (poorly) behind his hand.

“Hey, uh… Lee? What are you wearing?” Hop snickered, his eyes roaming up and down Leon in bewilderment.

“Oh, this?” Leon hummed, as if he didn’t know what Hop was talking about.

Leon loved over-the-top looks. Usually his outfits ranged from a variety of different styles-- from his posh Battle Tower uniform, to his signature cape and ball-cap. Today, however, he decided to go with something outside even _his_ eccentric tastes.

He glanced down at his outfit, which comprised of a tacky blue tank top with coral reefs and Luvdisc printed on the front, multicoloured tie-dye joggers, red foam sandals, plus a ball-cap with his hair tied in a bun to top it all off. The bright colours clashed together brilliantly yet terribly. Leon wasn’t sure if he hated it or not.

“Yes, _that_ ,” Hop snorted. “You didn’t get fashion tips from Chairman Rose, did you?”

Leon had to laugh at that. “No, no. I mean... I don’t want to risk anybody recognizing me,” he said, gesturing down at his outfit. “I just want today to be about us hanging out. No interruptions. Just... us,” he finished. He hoped the blush that was rising to his cheeks wasn’t at all noticeable.

“But it’s so obvious!” Hop huffed and gave a cute pout that Leon couldn’t resist giggling at. “So you’ve got… a... disguise, but I can still tell it’s you just by looking at your face.”

Leon pulled out a pair of dark shades from his pants pocket and slid them onto his face. “Not when I do this, you can’t,” he said, bearing a wide smirk.

If Hop exaggerated his eye-roll any more than he did, Leon thought his eyes might roll backwards instead.

“Well, I’m just glad I get to see you. Dumb outfit and all,” Hop smiled, then outstretched his arms towards him. Leon happily closed the gap between them and pulled them in for a hug, burying his nose into Hop’s soft hair.

It was so nice to see Hop again. He wasn’t as busy as he was when he was taking part in the gym challenge, but assistant work still kept him occupied.

“I didn’t think Sonia would let you have some time off? I know you’re working pretty hard these days,” Leon said as he pulled back slightly, but kept his arms wrapped securely around Hop.

“She actually told me I was working _too_ hard and that I should ‘do something fun’,” Hop shrugged. “But I don’t get it. The things that we’re working on _is_ fun!” he said, looking annoyed.

But Leon just beamed. He knew just how disappointed and lost Hop was when he lost the Champion Cup, and how he thought he wasn’t worth it as a trainer. And for a while, Leon was worried if he was ever going to recover.

Now, however, it seemed like Hop rediscovered the bounce in his step and finally found something he genuinely felt confident in. Hop was already bright and talented, but now he could finally show that off with his hard work ethic. Leon was happy he found a path that worked for him. He deserved this opportunity and he couldn’t be prouder of him.

“Look at my studious lil’ bro! You’re gonna make a fine professor one day, I know it,” he crooned, ruffling Hop’s hair despite his noises of protest.

“H-Hey, Lee! C’mon, cut it out!” Hop yelped, placing his hands on Leon’s chest in an attempt to push him away, but not _actually_ applying force to break free. Leon just chuckled, re-tightened his arms around Hop, and lifted him up.

He was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to spin them around-- so he did just that. Leon twirled and spun them in a circle, chanting praise of how talented and smart Hop was. Hop’s fussing and protests soon melted into laughter and high pitched giggles, and Leon couldn’t help but laugh along with him.

Eventually Leon slowed and lowered his brother back onto the ground. The two remained closely embraced, chests pressed together, both flushed and panting from how hard they laughed.

“But…I mean...” Hop said in between pants, “Hanging out with you is fun, too,” he finished with a small laugh, and Leon broke out into an involuntary smile.

“I’m glad... I missed you, Hop,” Leon spoke fondly. His voice had dropped into a quieter tone, but it’s not like he noticed. All he could notice was Hop’s soft dimples and reddened cheeks and long, batting eyelashes.

“‘Missed you too, Lee…” Hop returned, his voice just as tender as Leon’s had been. There was something about the way Hop had said those words that made Leon flush, and he wondered just how noticeable his blush was _now_.

And then Hop smiled.

That classic, wonderful Hop smile that was so wide, and so beautiful. The very smile that made Leon’s heart alight and his blood rush. He loved him. He loved everything about him.

But with that thought, Leon began to notice _everything_ a bit too quickly.

Hop’s legs on either side of Leon’s own leg. Hop’s arms resting on Leon’s hips. Hop’s chest pressing against him. Hop’s long lashes. Hop’s bright eyes. Hop’s handsome face that was inches away from his own. Hop’s plump lips. Hop’s breath fluttering from his slightly agape mouth, and Leon could feel-- no, downright _taste_ just how close he was. Like he could chase the whisper of his breath and follow it back to where it came from. All the way home to Hop’s soft, welcoming lips.

It was dangerous, with Hop being close to him like that. But they were _so_ close. Leon wanted to be even closer.

“Lee…”

It was Hop’s whisper that made him come to. Leon inwardly panicked. He quickly pulled away, turned, and fake coughed, but really it was an effort to look anywhere other than Hop. To forget about the mouth that was just inches away from his, to forget about the soft breath on his lips. 

“C-come on, Hop! Not a second to waste! Let’s check out some festivities!” Leon proclaimed loudly, louder than what was necessary. He picked a direction, not really looking to see where he was headed, and fast walked towards it.

Hop giggled behind him. “Lee… I think the festivities are _this_ way,” he said, and Leon looked back towards him to see that he was pointing in the opposite direction.

 _Oh._ Leon felt his ears burn red.

So, putting his feelings aside and hiding them might be harder than he expected.

Leon felt like he was in for a long day.

\----- ii ----- ii -----

“Lee, come check this out!”

Leon turned back towards Hop, who had left his side and currently had his face pressed against a store window. He gave a quick giggle at how scrunched and concentrated Hop’s face looked.

“Whatcha find?” Leon asked, making his way back towards him.

Hop pointed to something past the window, indicating what he was looking at. “These! Look!” he exclaimed. Leon put his face to the glass and raised his hands in order to block the sun’s glare. Finally he spotted the items of interest.

A hanging sign inside the store read “Handmade Pokemon Hoodies”, and on display were mannequins featuring several of the mentioned hoodies. From here he could see Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble based ones, plus a few others he couldn’t quite make out from his angle.

“Come try one on with me,” Hop said, and before Leon could utter an agreement, he was already being dragged by the hand and into the store.

As it turned out they had quite a larger selection, ranging from Galar’s most popular Pokemon such as Gengar and Yamper. Leon didn’t get to see which hoodie Hop picked for himself before he rushed towards the nearest change room to try it on. In the meantime, Leon decided to try out one that caught his eye.

It was a Charmander hoodie with its face printed on the front of the hood and the design of its tail printed on the back. Although it would probably look better with a different outfit than the one he was wearing, the design was genuinely cute, not to mention it was soft and well-made. Leon rather liked it, he had to admit.

He spent a bit of time checking himself out in the mirror before Hop finally emerged again.

“How does it look?” he heard Hop say, and Leon turned to look at him.

To say Hop was cute would be a complete understatement.

“Adorable” or even “precious” would be a better suited word. The garment was just a tad too wide for Hop’s lanky frame, but it gave the impression of him swimming in a cloud-- the pure white fleece adding to the effect. But that was hardly the best part.

The real highlight was the hood pulled over Hop’s head. It had the soft face of a Wooloo sewed on, similar to the Charmander on Leon’s hood. But unlike his, Hop’s came included with small little nubs for horns as well as floppy ears on either side.

A tiny whine emitted from Leon’s throat. His brother had always been cute, but this…

He didn’t know if he could handle the sight in front of him.

“Lee, I said how does it look? Do y’think it fits?”

Hop was peering at him from underneath his hood with those big round eyes-- those _damn_ eyes-- staring, questioning, waiting. Leon felt a lump rise in his throat that he had to swallow back down.

By Areceus, how could his brother be so attractive _and_ adorable at the same time?

Soon enough Leon was walking forward, closing the gap between him and Hop, approaching, never taking his eyes off him, until there was barely an inch between them. All while Hop was still staring, with those eyes, those golden shining eyes, looking up in question.

And Leon _couldn’t_.

He looked around to make sure no one was looking. Then he reached out, pulled the front of Hop’s hood down which covered his face and muffled his surprised yelp,

And planted a long kiss to the Wooloo’s face, right against Hop’s forehead.

It wasn’t exactly what he wanted, and Leon wanted so much _more_. But it was the closest he could get.

“I… yeah. It fits,” Leon coughed, pulling away and letting go of Hop’s hood. One of Hop’s hands shot up and yanked the hood off so he could look up at Leon again.

The look on Hop’s face was one of stunned surprise, and his face was quickly growing a dark flush. And for while, they just stood, staring deeply at one another. Leon swallowed his growing embarrassment.

They’ve had moments like these in the past. Lately it’s been a more frequent occurrence. Moments where they’ve been a little _too_ close or _too_ physically intimate, and Leon notices when it happens of course. But lately, he thinks Hop’s started to notice too.

Hop has never mentioned it, and frankly, neither has he. And because of that he’s gotten bolder and more daring, pushing the boundaries because he can’t help himself when it comes to Hop even though he _knows_ he should be more careful. But it’s there-- present in the air around them, as heavy as a Copperajah.

Hop remained still, staring at him, giving him a sort of complex look. It wasn’t a negative expression, but... Leon couldn’t exactly tell what Hop was thinking.

Seconds of heartbeats passed, and finally Hop broke the silence. “Oh-- I… good. It fits. Nice,” he stumbled, finally tearing his gaze away from him.

In the end, Leon bought the Wooloo hoodie for Hop (as well as his own Charmander one) despite Hop arguing that he didn’t need to spend money on him.

Leon simply disagreed, saying that it was a perfect fit and practically made for him.

Hop didn’t argue back after that. His cheeks were tinted a deep red even long after they left the shop.

\----- iii ----- iii -----

After a while of looking around different stores, the two left the shopping district and wandered into one of the city’s many plazas. The streets connecting to the plaza were closed off to any vehicles and was currently buzzing with people and Pokemon visiting various tents, food carts, and attractions. Leon and Hop held hands as to not lose each other in the commotion.

The amount of activity was slightly staggering, if Leon was being honest-- even for someone like him, who was used to people and large crowds. He briefly worried if Hop was overwhelmed with how much was going on, but a glance backwards and a warm smile from Hop quickly melted any worries he had.

They were making their way past a notably large crowd, until Leon heard a booming voice from a megaphone.

“... And it looks like Leafeon has fainted! Hatterene is the winner!”

Both Leon and Hop’s head turned towards the voice and the cheering that erupted immediately after. It was hard to look past the heads of people, but Leon could see that the crowd had formed a large circle around two trainers and their Pokemon. The victor appeared to be a pink haired girl with twin tails standing beside a Hatterene, who loomed over a collapsed Leafeon. Both the trainer and Pokemon looked smug in their victory.

“Kira and her Hatterene remain the victors! Can anyone beat our reigning champs?”

“Whoa, people are battling out here,” Hop said, who was currently standing on his tippy toes trying to get a better look. “Looks intense…”

“Hop,” Leon whispered to him, with urgency in his voice.

Hop immediately turned to look at him. “Huh? Is something wrong?” he said, his face suddenly serious.

Leon shook his head. “No, I…” he paused, taking a moment to inhale a deep breath. Then he spoke:

“I wanna go and battle.”

Hop blinked once, twice, then snorted in laughter. “Really, Lee?” he snickered. “Aren’t you supposed to be taking a break from work?”

“Yeah? It’s not like I’m at the Battle Tower right now,” Leon pointed out.

“I mean, from battling! Plus, didn’t you say you didn’t want to be recognized?”

“I won’t be. I’m disguised, remember?”

Hop snorted. “How could I forget,” he said, his eyes darting down Leon’s body. “Lee, there’s no way no one’s not going to recognize you.”

“I’ll be discreet! I mean, I _am_ discreet!” Leon argued, gesturing down at his outfit. When Hop didn’t seem convinced, Leon kept trying. “Look, I won’t even use Charizard _or_ do the pose.”

Leon watched as Hop crossed his arms and snorted softly. And for a few seconds afterwards, Hop didn’t say anything else. He just stood with his bottom lip bit, with the corners of his smile upturned slightly. But Leon could tell that he was at least thinking about it.

“Last call for challengers! Is there anyone willing to step up to the plate?” boomed the announcer.

Finally Hop exhaled a puff of air. “Oh… just _go_ ,” he said, feigning exasperation.

“Yes! Thank you, Hop,” Leon clapped his brother’s hands with his own in appreciation, then dropped them to quickly run up to the front of the arena. He couldn’t help his excitement from seeping through as he bounded past the crowd of people and entered the clearing.

“I’d like to battle!” Leon announced, pitching his voice slightly deeper than it usually was. Somehow, he could sense Hop was facepalming from back in the audience.

As he stepped into the middle of the makeshift battle arena, all he heard were cheers and no whispers of people trying to discern if the new challenger looked like Former Champion Leon himself.

Which meant that his disguise was doing its job. _Take that, Hop,_ Leon smirked to himself.

The coach nodded at him to acknowledge his challenge, then raised the megaphone up. “We have a new challenger! Give him a round of applause!” he announced, and the crowd roared in excitement.

Leon looked up to gauge his opponent. The trainer-- Kira, if he remembered correctly-- had just finished healing her Hatterene and was now staring at him from across the arena.

“Another fool brave enough to face _me_ , huh? And who might you be?” she goaded him while stretching her arms.

Leon ignored her attempt to provoke him, instead choosing to smile at her good-natured way. “I’m just here for a nice, fun battle,” he hummed happily.

“If your idea of fun is getting crushed, you’ve come to the right place,” Kira sounded snide. “I’m at a six win streak. Honourable of you to offer to be my seventh,” she snarked, and the crowd “ooo’d” in response.

Leon only shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. I think you might be surprised,” he flashed another grinned at her. The glare she shot him was intense, but she said nothing else.

The two met in the center briefly as the coach glossed over the rules. “This will be a quick, one versus one battle,” he explained. “One Pokemon for each side only, and no using items mid battle. Are we clear on the rules?”

Both Leon and Kira nodded, and as the coach gave them the okay, the two trainers walked back towards their respective ends of the arena.

Leon was already formulating a plan. It looked like Kira was going to stick with her Hatterene, so he called out his Aegislash. It had an obvious typing advantage, and it would be able to take a hit from a hard hitter like Hatterene.

The crowd fell silent and the two trainers waited with baited breath, waiting for the match to start. The coach held his hand in the air for a few moments… then quickly brought it down.

“Start!”

“Mystical Fire!”

“Shadow Claw!”

The commands were ordered at the same time, but the Hatterene was faster. Its mouth formed a wide ‘O’ shape to create a ring of fire, then immediately released a forceful stream of fire at his Pokemon. Aegislash managed to shake off the attack and circled behind its opponent to get out of the onslaught of flame, before it swiftly changed to its Blade forme and cut off the Hatterene’s attack with a quick Shadow Claw.

 _So that’s how they defeated the Leafeon last round._ Leon realized. He waved the embers that wafted towards his direction and inspected the damage done to his Pokemon.

It was a heavy hit. Aegislash was already looking worse for wear. Leon was lucky that the Hatterene went first. If Aegislash had taken a super effective hit while not in its Shield forme, it would have been over for him in just one turn. Luckily for him however, the Shadow Claw had dealt a hefty amount of damage to the Hatterene as well.

Leon was used to the flexibility of six on six battles, not the high stakes of a one on one battle where a mistake could cost you the match. However, with how much damage both sides had already taken, it was looking like it might be a quicker battle than he expected.

He just had to play it right.

“Again!”

Leon heard Kira call, but this time he was ready. He ordered a quick “King’s Shield!” before the Hatterene whipped around, preparing another Mystical Fire. Aegislash swiftly turned itself back into its Shield forme and projected a large hexagonal barrier, completely negating the firey attack. The Hatterene screeched in frustration as it tried to wave away the embers that bounced back into its face.

“Ergh, come on! Shadow Ball them!” Kira yelled.

But it was already too late. While the Hatterene was distracted, Leon commanded one final Shadow Sneak. A large shadow extended from Aegislash’s body and struck the Hatterene from behind.The opposing Pokemon shrieked as the blow was dealt and collapsed to the ground, fainted.

The crowd roared into cheer. The adrenaline of winning an intense battle and the sound of a cheering crowd was a familiar sensation. Leon nearly threw up a Charizard pose for old times sake, but he caught himself, remembering his promise to Hop. So instead, he simply smiled and waved at the cheering crowd.

Leon had just finished congratulating Aegislash and returning it back into its ball when Kira approached him. Annoyance was clear on her face and Leon thought she was angry at him for ruining her streak. But instead she extended a hand towards him,.

“Not bad,” she congratulated, even if it did sound a little forced. “It’s not often I get beat.”

Leon took her hand and gave her a firm shake and smiled. “You did great as well. I wasn’t expecting a Fire move. You had me on edge!” he said truthfully.

“Yeah, well. Hatterene and I like to keep some tricks up our sleeves,” Kira began to smirk again as she relished in the compliment. She dropped their hands, but then... she squinted at him, trying to stare through his sunglasses. “What’s your name? You look… familiar?” she questioned.

“Uh, I--”

“Lee!”

Leon staggered a step forwards as a body came barreling into his backside. And as he turned back, he saw Hop with his arms wrapped tightly around his torso.

“You were incredible, Lee! That was scary close, but of course you pulled off an amazing comeback! You made it look so easy!” Hop showered him in praise, squeezing him tight. Leon couldn’t help but blush at his kind words. He always found himself flustered when it came to Hop’s flattery. Hop’s and only Hop’s.

There was just one problem, though...

“So, Lee, huh? Wait a second…” Kira paused. Her gaze slowly shifted from Leon, to Hop, to Leon and then Hop one last time. 

_Oh. Well, here it comes_ , Leon thought. He breathed in, bracing himself.

“... Aren’t you Hop? Professor Sonia’s apprentice?”

Huh?

“O-oh, well, I mean, yeah! I am!” Hop untangled himself from Leon and he nodded, although his expression was just as surprised as Leon was.

It was like a switch flipped in Kira. Her expression quickly brightened into one of excitement.

“Wow, it’s so nice to meet you!” she exclaimed. “I've been such a fan of your guys' work. Uncovering the secrets of Dynamaxing and Galar itself is really interesting stuff! Oh, and you came so close in the Champion Cup last year! Can I get an autograph? You’re so cool!” she continued to ramble. Each sentence brought her a step forward, which prompted Hop to take a few steps back every time she edged into his personal bubble. It wasn’t until he bumped into Leon’s side that he noticed he had run out of space to back into.

Leon thought to save Hop from the onslaught of questions, but then Kira’s attention quickly redirected towards Leon’s.

“Wait. Then does that mean…” her gaze pierced through him. “You must be Leon? The former Champion? THAT Leon?”

“I--”

“Whoa, it’s Hop! Who’s that beside...”

“The former Champion…”

“... did she say Leon?”

“... that Hop? The one who took the gym challenge...”

“I hear he’s doing incredible research with…”

“... it true? Leon is here...?”

The crowd broke out into murmurs and chattering. Suddenly everyone’s eyes were on them and they were closing in, growing close, trying to get a better look to confirm the identities of the two brothers.

It seems like they were recognized after all. Just not in the way either of them expected to be.

One glance down at Hop’s expression told Leon he was nervous and uncomfortable. Leon’s heart gave a twinge of guilt and sympathy. His brother wasn’t at all used to the paparazzi like he was.

Leon had to get him out of there. He had an idea, but he didn’t know how else to get them out other than his usual way, which was usually noticeable and flashy. But he had to try.

In one quick, practiced motion, Leon released Charizard from his Pokeball and threw an arm into the air, striking his classic Charizard pose. The large winged Pokemon glanced around, confused for a moment, but then quickly clued in to what was happening. Surrounding them, the crowd erupted into screams and cheers.

“Lee?” Leon could barely hear Hop’s concerned voice over the sound of the crowd. He shot him a quick, reassuring glance, as if to say “ _don’t worry, I got this._ ” And then he turned back towards the swarming people.

“Yes, it’s your former Champion, Leon!” he announced. “Have you all been having a grand time at this year’s Wyndon Gale?”

His question was met by sounds of affirmation, several more screams, and shouts of his name. Leon shone a bright smile at the excitable crowd.

“I hope you’ve all been fighting and training hard, so that one day you might take on the Gym Challenge. Or even the Battle Tower, where you’ll have a chance to face me!” he laughed. This was followed by a few more screams and even laughs of people laughing along with him.

Once the noise died down and he had their attention again, he carried on. “Today I’m spending time with my number one fan in all the world, my brother, so unfortunately I have to cut this meeting short. But I hope you’ll all support me in my next battle!” he concluded and waved goodbye at the sea of people.

The crowed ‘aww’ed, but fortunately most of them-- including Kira-- got the hint and began to disperse. Leon subtly started to guide Hop towards him and Charizard.

But then a few overzealous fans pushed their way to the front.

“Leon, over here!”

“Hop, tell us about your research!”

“Leon, can I get an autograph?!”

“Leon, _I’m_ your biggest fan!”

It all happened so fast. An elbow out of nowhere knocked Hop’s back and his brother let out a surprised yelp. He stumbled forward, accidentally knocking into Leon, and then pushed them both into Charizard (who gave a startled grunt) in the process.

Leon was vaguely aware of something on top of him. He blinked rapidly, trying to get his eyes to focus.

And then he realized Hop was pressed flush against his chest and Leon could see every detail of his face, his eyes, his _lips_ , and they were all mere centimeters away from his own.

Charizard grunted again and nudged them off as quickly as they had been shoved on. The two gave a shout as they were suddenly pushed up into a standing position, and Leon had to grapple Hop’s waist to prevent him from falling backwards again, leading them into a sort of dip.

Even he had to admit the whole scene felt kind of cliché. For a moment, Leon felt like they were suspended in time. Hop’s hands held on to Leon’s arms while Leon wrapped around Hop’s waist, and their faces were still _very_ close together, and Leon was hyper-aware of every inch of Hop that touched him.

But then the moment ended and the two corrected themselves into an upright position again. Leon quickly unwrapped himself from his brother and took a step back, putting some distance between them. Hop was left standing there, mouth agape and panting.

Briefly, Leon thought about how their position might’ve looked to an outsider. Would anyone say something? Would anyone think otherwise? Leon could feel himself getting hotter and hotter, either from fear or self-consciousness or because he could still envision Hop’s lips just barely grazing his own, he didn’t know. It had all ended _so_ fast, he didn’t have much time to contemplate it.

But everyone seemed too busy pushing each other, trying to get to the front of the crowd. No one else seemed to notice.

Nobody but them.

They spared each other a quick look. Hop hadn’t said anything, but his face had gone a deeper shade again. The look he gave Leon was intense, plus something complex that he couldn’t quite discern. It made Leon’s nerves flutter.

But there was no time to even think about nearly kissing Hop or untangling his own feelings about it. They still had to get out of there.

Almost simultaneously, they remembered the situation they were in, They nodded at each other, silently agreeing to clamber onto Charizard’s back. Leon whispered a quiet apology to his partner-- which the Pokemon made an annoyed grunt at-- before he took off with a powerful beat of his wings.

Leon could feel tight arms wrap tightly around his midriff and the sound of Hop yelling “Lee!” as they took flight. Eventually the noise of the crowd began to fade away as they soared above the buildings of Wyndon, and eventually, they faded from sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alt chap title: "leon and hop need to see a dentist because of how sweet they are"
> 
> i split this fic into two parts because it was growing too long otherwise. luckily, that means the second half is almost complete.
> 
> also, kira the trainer is actually based off my actual friend kira (@maxstarfalls), so special thanks to her for allowing me to insert her into a fic. :3c
> 
> my twitter is @brewshipping if you want to see my thirsty threads abt leehop. thank you.


	2. Fourth, Fifth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey i'm back

\----- iv ----- iv -----

The two flew until they reached the far end of the city. Wyndon was busy everywhere while the Gale was ongoing, but at least this sector would be far enough away from the main crowds and festivities. This way, they could hide from any overenthusiastic fans who might recognize them.

Leon took the time during the flight to calm some of his frayed emotions. He didn’t want his own feelings and desires to impede his day with Hop, no matter what happened. He had to put his foot down and force his feelings to take the back seat. He had to _stop_ thinking about Hop’s body and face and lips on his. Despite how those fantasies plagued his mind, and how they were nearly a reality just minutes before.

But that was easier said than done. The way Hop’s arms wrapped tightly around his torso the entire ride was cute— adorable even. And not to mention the contact was pleasant and warm.

Of course, Leon would say that out loud.

Eventually they landed near a modest looking bakery nearing the edge of town. Hop slid off Charizard with wobbly legs and jellied arms, and let out a huge sigh of relief as he planted his feet onto the ground.

“Geez… do you fly like that _all_ the time?” Hop asked shakily.

Leon hummed in question. “What do you mean?” he asked while getting down from Charizard’s back.

Hop ran an unsteady hand through his hair. “I mean like… with nothing. Just hanging on for dear life. I-It was… something.”

Oh. _That’s_ what it was, Leon realized. He had forgotten that Hop was afraid of heights.

“Sorry, Hop,” he apologized. But then a smile crept up his face. “You didn’t have even a _little_ fun though?” he teased him.

“No! I did!” Hop said earnestly. “Just… next time, let’s just call a taxi, yeah?”

Leon put a finger to his mouth and smirked. “A taxi? Or a Corviknight taxi?”

“A Corviknight taxi is different from hanging off Charizard’s back, Lee!” Hop’s cheeks puffed in a small pout, and Leon couldn’t stop the laughter that erupted from him. There his little brother went again, acting all cute.

After a minute of recuperating, the two decided to head into the bakery for a quick bite to eat. Leon made his way from the cashier and grabbed them a table, while Hop finished paying for his own order. Soon enough he made his way to where Leon was sitting and placed down his food.

“Ah, man, that was my first time dealing with fans like that,” Hop slumped into his chair exaggeratedly and exhaled. “I don’t know how you do it.”

Leon swallowed down his food before speaking. “You get used to it after awhile,” he shrugged. “It takes some practice.”

“I guess. But still...” Hop said, his eyes focused downward, “I didn’t even realize I _had_ fans like that. And so many, too!”

Leon cocked his head in thought. “Well, you _have_ done some pretty amazing stuff lately. People were bound to notice.”

“Well I don’t know about _amazing_ ,” Hop doubted. “ _Interesting_ at the very least. But… those people think that I’m incredible or something because of it, y’know. Like that Kira girl.”

“But those people are right, you know. You _are_ pretty incredible, Hop!” Leon enthused, flashing him a warm smile.

But Hop didn’t look convinced. He shook his head and stared blankly at his plate. “C’mon, Lee, compared to you? I’m really nothing—”

“No. I mean it,” Leon said, his tone dropping into a lower octave, suddenly serious. He watched as Hop looked up at him, looking surprised at his change of tone before he continued. “Just because we’re brothers doesn’t mean they’re comparing you to me. They’re only looking at _you_. You who took on the Gym Challenge and made your way to the Champion Cup. Not many people can say they’ve done that or have even come close to it.”

He carried on as Hop watched him with wide eyes. “And now, you’re doing groundbreaking research with Sonia. You’re unraveling the mysteries of Dynamaxing, as well as finding age old answers about the history of Galar. That sort of work requires a lot of wit and patience and determination.”

“And heck, you helped take down Eternatus! An incredibly powerful legendary Pokemon!” Leon exclaimed as he threw his arms out wide. “Even I wasn’t successful in doing that.”

“So please,” Leon lowered his voice again, reaching across the table and clasping his and Hop’s hands together, “you’re anything _but_ nothing, Hop. You’re something extraordinary. You’ve done all these great things, and you’re _still_ doing them. Not me or anyone else, but _you_. People are starting to recognize you for your achievements,” he took a brief pause to squeeze their hands together, to stare deeply into Hop’s now watery eyes.

“I know _I_ do,” he finished, his mouth turning up into a gentle smile.

Hop’s bottom lip had started to tremble and his shoulders started to shake. Leon gave his hand another tight squeeze of reassurance from across the table.

Leon knew Hop had had troubles with his self-confidence lately. Ever since he lost the Champion Cup— which was one of his biggest dreams— his self-esteem and confidence had waned. And although he was getting better, it wasn’t every day he heard positive reinforcement.

But Leon believed that everything he had just said was true. No, it WAS true. Hop had managed to carve his own path and had set off to do amazing things. And Leon couldn’t be more proud of him.

“I… y-yeah. Thanks, Lee, that… means a lot. Coming from you,” Hop sniffled, subtly wiping a stray tear from his eye. 

Leon’s smile was soft and tender. “Of course. You deserve it,” he murmured. “You’ve _earned_ it.”

Although his eyes watered and his lip trembled, Hop managed to meet his gaze and gave him a deep nod. It was like the fire in his eyes had been reignited with new-found purpose and determination.

Things had been rough for Hop, but now it seemed like he was truly beginning to find his own way. And Leon felt so proud. So full of pride and adoration for his outstanding little brother that it felt like his heart wanted to swell and burst at the same time.

Subconsciously, Leon reached out with his thumb and wiped away a stray tear that had begun to roll down Hop’s cheek.

The noise that came out of Hop was something akin to a whimper or a squeak, and it was quiet enough that Leon thought he imagined it. Until he caught Hop’s expression.

Hop’s reddening face and averted gaze made Leon’s breath hitch, and his hand on Hop’s cheek stuttered.

_Arceus help me,_ he thought. How could one person be so incredible, and be immensely cute on top of that to boot? And how could he hold back when his brother was just so amazing in nearly every way?

He was losing his restraint when it came to Hop. Leon could feel it. If it weren’t for his last remaining effort to keep his vow to try and put his feelings aside, he would’ve pulled Hop into his arms right then and there and carried him into the sunset to give him the happy life he deserved. Like how a prince won over the love interest at the end of a fairy tale.

But life wasn’t a fairy tale, and things wouldn’t work out the way he wanted them to just because he felt a certain way. He had to make sure he kept his feelings in check.

Hop clearing his throat pulled him back from his train of thought. “U-um, anyway, I have this for you,” he said, pulling away from Leon’s touch (much to his disappointment) and he reached down below the table to grab a small paper bag. Hop placed it on the table and reached inside.

What he pulled out was a bright red toffee apple, but with added decorative candy shaped like the eyes and tail of an Applin. Hop extended the treat towards him.

“As… an apology for having all those people jump on us. And uh. Just because I, um... Yeah,” he finished lamely, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck.

Leon frowned slightly. Did Hop blame himself for what happened? “Aw, Hop, don’t feel like you need to apologize for that. It was just bad luck. It wasn’t your fault at all.”

Colour started to rise to Hop’s cheeks and he remained silent for a moment. But then he spoke up again. “I guess… but I also wanted to get you something nice, too. It’s just. You know, you were so cool during that battle…” he confessed.

Leon blinked, surprised. “Oh!” he blurted, feeling flattered as he stared down at the toffee Applin.

Traditionally, toffee Applins were given to people you truly admire. Leon’s heart gave a little flutter. How kind of Hop to give him such a thoughtful gift. But then again, his brother was always full of surprises. Hop had been shown to exceed his expectations time and time again, and this time was no different.

He took the toffee Applin in hand and smiled softly at Hop. “Thank you. I love sweets.”

“I know,” Hop grinned sheepishly back at him. “Your sweet-tooth is nefarious.”

They sat for a while longer, finishing their food and talking about what other festivities they wanted to do. Hop mentioned fireworks that would happen later that evening, and Leon suggested they should ride the Galar Hurricane— the largest ferris wheel in the whole Galar region— to get “the best seats in the house”, as he put it.

The entire time, however, Leon couldn’t help but notice Hop wasn’t entirely present in their conversation. There was something about his engagement that made him seem off. Or… distracted?

“Something the matter Hop?” he asked, finishing the last of his toffee Applin.

“Uh…” Hop paused briefly, taking a moment to swallow, “There’s toffee on your face. Here,” he said pointing to the corner of Leon’s mouth.

“Oh,” Leon made a move to raise a napkin to his face. “Thanks—”

“Wait.”

Leon paused, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

Hop quickly glanced around the room, as if to see if anyone had their eyes on them.

Then, Leon watched as Hop wet his thumb with his mouth, leaned over the table, close to his face, then wiped the candy from his lips and stuck his thumb back in his mouth, which he suckled until it was completely clean.

Leon’s brain fizzled out and fried.

“There. I. It’s, uh… gone,” Hop fumbled over his words. He was trying his best to stay casual. But he was fidgeting way too much and his face was incredibly flushed, all the way down his neck and to the tips of his ears.

Leon was sure he didn’t look any better. His mouth opened and closed uselessly as he sat gobstruck. He could have sworn heat was starting to steam out of his ears and rising up to cloud his vision.

But the worst part was that he could still sense the wetness from Hop’s thumb still lingering on his upper lip.

It drove him crazy. But he had to say _something_ to fill the awkward silence between them.

“T-Thanks!” he blurted, but whatever came out of his lips sounded more like a wheeze rather than a word.

And there was another one of those “moments” again, Leon realized. Where they skirted the boundaries between familial and… something else. Maybe something more. Where they both knew the line they were edging and what sort of territory they might be heading towards. Or, at least Leon knew it. But regardless if Hop was aware of it or not, neither of them knew how to carry on afterwards.

Though eventually (and fortunately) they were able to fall back into their rhythm after stumbling their way through clipped conversation and awkward pauses. However, the Copperajah still weighed heavily in the room.

Leon had been trying to keep his feelings on the down-low during this visit. But they always seemed to resurface no matter how hard he suppressed them. There always seemed to be something that dragged them out into the open once again.

Shockingly, the scariest part wasn’t the danger of someone (namely Hop) potentially catching on to his true feelings. It was the fear that he was just projecting those feelings onto Hop. That maybe Leon was looking too deep into their interactions and simply seeing what he wanted to see.

Needless to say, if Leon pushed his desires onto Hop when he… didn’t feel the same way as he did, then it would be dangerous for both of them.

And the last thing he wanted was to harm Hop in any way.

But despite it all— despite all his fears and concerns, Leon was still optimistic. Maybe there was hope for him, despite how slim of a chance it might be. He hoped it would get better. There was still the whole day ahead of them, after-all.

\----- v ----- v -----

Keeping in mind their plan to watch the fireworks atop the Galar Hurricane that evening, the two made their way over to the carnival. Twilight had fallen over the city and the sun had set over the horizon. Though the sky was dark, the night was still young. It would still be a while before the fireworks started. So the two decided to kill time by participating in various games.

Hop, as it turned out, was skilled at nearly every game they played at.

“Skilled” was incredibly subjective, in Leon’s opinion. Hop was just getting lucky.

Extremely lucky.

Everyone knew carnival games were rigged. Or at the very least, the odds were heavily weighted against the player. But so far Hop had managed to beat the odds and was currently on a winning streak. He had even won a top prize in Pick A Ducklett— a game of pure chance with no skill required whatsoever.

That wasn’t to say Leon wasn’t happy for him. Of course Leon was happy for his brother’s success.

But he was also sick of losing.

The two strolled past various stalls looking for the next game to partake in, when his attention was grabbed by Hop tugging on his sleeve.

“Lee, check out the prizes at that one,” he nodded at one of the booths just up ahead.

The stall he was referencing was a game where the objective was to throw Dreepy shaped darts at balloons with Driftloon faces on them.

At first he didn’t think much of the prizes. His eyes skimmed over the plush Charizards, Haxorus, and Dragapults, until he realized… that the prizes were Champion Leon themed.

Not only were there plushies of his Pokemon team, there were also things like t-shirts of him striking a Charizard Pose, Leon key-chains, and for the grand prize of five consecutive popped balloons, was a large chibi-fied Champion Leon plush.

“Let’s have a competition,” Hop proposed, a smirk forming on his face. “See who can pop the most balloons? Winner chooses a punishment for the loser?”

“Uh sure—”

“Great!”

When Leon looked, Hop was already making a beeline towards the booth, not waiting for an answer. “I’m going first!” he shouted over his shoulder.

“Wh— Hey! Wait up!” he called after him.

Hop had already traded in his tickets for five darts by the time he caught up to him again. Leon rolled his eyes and purposely bumped into him with his shoulder.

“Geez, couldn’t have waited for me?” Leon puffed, watching Hop pick up his first dart.

Hop didn’t answer him, instead resorting to giving him a smug smile. “Remember how often I used to practice my Pokeball throw?” he asked. “I think all that hard work is gonna come in handy here.”

Leon snorted. “Darts aren’t exactly ball-shaped, Hop.”

“All I’m saying,” Hop said, giving his dominant arm a flex, “is that I’m a pretty good shot.”

“Ohh?” Leon drawled as he crossed his arms. “Confident, are you?”

It’s not that Leon doubted Hop’s skill. But he couldn’t deny that his competitive side was seeping through either.

“I am,” Hop replied.

“Go on then. Let’s see you.”

Hop shot him one last smirk before he took in a deep breath, directed his attention towards the balloon wall, and took aim. Leon watched as Hop’s tongue stuck out in concentration, and he put a hand to his mouth to hide his laugh.

Hop was so cute when he was focused.

But Leon was competitive at heart. Even if his opposition _was_ cute, he had an idea in mind to throw him off his game.

The dart flew through the air and a loud _‘pop’_ resonated through the booth. That was one balloon down.

“Looks like you’ve got beginner’s luck on your side,” Leon scratched his chin, contemplating out loud. Hop remained silent as he kept a collected poker face. He readied another dart and threw.

_Pop._

“Not bad, not bad. Pretty good for... an amateur.”

Hop continued to ignore him and was already carefully aiming another dart.

_Pop._

“That one was kind of a weak throw there, Hopscotch. I thought you said you were good at this?” he egged. The corner of Hop’s mouth twitched slightly, which didn’t go unnoticed by Leon. His facade was breaking. Leon held back a laugh. 

Hop wound up again, aimed, released, and—

_Pop._

Leon let out the loudest fake snore he could. “… Huh? What? Did you hit it?” He teased, feigning a yawn. “Sorry, I fell aslee—”

All of his commentary finally earned him a playful punch from Hop.

“Lee, c’mon,” he said, feigning annoyance, but his growing smile betrayed him. Leon’s seen enough of that smile to know when it was genuine.

Hop turned back towards the board. This was it. The fifth and final dart. Hop took aim, hand steady, one eye closed, tongue sticking out. And then he threw.

_Pop._

Hop had popped all five balloons.

Leon applauded as he watched his brother throw both his fists into the air and cheer.

Leon knew how to be a good sport. He knew when to acknowledge someone’s abilities and victories. It looked like he had some serious competition to beat.

He watched Hop select the grand prize for striking all five balloons— the Leon plush, which was nearly the size of his brother’s upper torso— and hugged it tightly against his chest. Hop sauntered up to Leon and leaned in close, looking smug.

“Try and beat that,” he dared.

Leon’s eye gave a small twitch.

“Okay, okay,” he said as he gently forced Hop to the side. Leon traded his ticket for the darts and readied one in his hand. “You might have practice on your side, but I’ve been doing this for much longer than you have,” he gloated. “Watch and see natural talent at work.”

His competitive nature was in full swing now. He wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

Hop rolled his eyes at him. “Let’s see then, Mr. Talent.”

Leon threw his first dart and a _pop_ reverberated against his ears. So far so good. One down, four to go. He just needed a few more to show Hop who was boss.

He aimed and threw his second dart…

… but it stuck in the corkboard wall with a dull _thud_.

He threw his third dart. Which also missed and stuck in the wall between two balloons.

Then he threw his fourth.

Then his fifth.

All of which missed their targets— some by a hair, others by a long shot.

Leon buried his head in his hands in shame while Hop cackled uncontrollably behind him.

Hop’s “punishment” wasn’t terrible like he feared it would have been. He ended up choosing the tackiest consolation prize for Leon, which wound up being a small purple bouncy ball with Leon’s face printed (poorly) on it.

(“Maybe with this, you can work on improving your aim!” Hop had laughed while Leon buried his face behind his cap in absolute shame.)

They walked until they were a fair distance away from the main attractions to take a break from all the festivities. The entire way there, Hop continued to tease him and brag about his overwhelming victory.

But Leon knew it was all in good faith. It wasn’t every day someone got to say they defeated the Undefeatable Leon, after all. Hop probably wanted to stretch out his victory for as long as he could.

After some time they stopped to sit at a park bench that overlooked the main carnival. And although there was more than enough space for both of them to sit comfortably, somehow they found that they gravitated close to each other anyway.

“Natural talent, eh?” Hop purred as they sat next to each other. “It looks like the undefeatable champion’s finally been bested.”

Leon almost didn’t hear his words. “Yeah, yeah,” he replied distractedly. His eyes wandered their way down to their connected thighs.

The contrast of the cool, night air compared to the heat radiating off Hop and seeping into Leon’s skin was too hard to ignore. He wondered if Hop was aware of just how their legs and their arms brushed against each other.

But Hop only seemed to focus on reveling in his victory, all while he fiddled with the Leon plushie in his lap. Leon watched as he absentmindedly smoothed his hands over its felt textured hair. Or wrapped his hands around its torso or played with its short, stumpy arms and legs.

That _damned_ plush. As silly of a sentiment as it was, Leon thought how it wasn’t fair how an over-sized chibi version of himself got to be petted and sit in Hop’s lap, while the actual Leon got only a sliver of contact.

Leon’s eyes darted to the plushie, to their thighs, then back up at Hop, then back a few times until his gaze finally settled on Hop.

“How’s your prize?” he found himself asking.

Hop finally paused his gloating to look in his direction. “Hm? Oh, little Lee?” he asked, looking down at the plushie in his hands. “He’s good,” he answered with a smile. “He’s my best friend.”

Leon rolled his eyes at the cheesy nickname. “You like it _that_ much?”

“Sure. I mean, he looks just like you. How could I not?” Hop said as he wrapped his arms around the plushie and gave it a tight squeeze.

“Well if you like it so much, why don’t you marry it?”

Leon didn’t particularly think twice about what he said. It was only meant to be a joke. A gag and a jest. But he quickly realized that it may have been the wrong thing to say.

Hop’s smile suddenly vanished and his expression turned serious. Leon thought he might have crossed some sort of line. That maybe joking about marrying a plush version of his brother when he had come so close to kissing the real thing multiple times today was too much.

“Well, I don’t know if I can _marry_ him,” Hop replied after a period of silence. “But…”

Leon didn’t know what to expect next. On one hand, he was relieved that Hop didn’t sound angry with him. But on the other hand, the period of silence went on too long to mean anything good. Leon swallowed as anxiety rose in his chest, and for a moment, Hop did nothing but stare him dead in the eye.

Then he raised the toy Leon to his face and promptly planted his lips directly over the plushie’s mouth.

Leon flinched. Out of all the possible outcomes he was anticipating, that didn’t even make the list.

He quickly forced Hop away from the plush and plucked it out of his grasp. It was so fast that Leon didn’t realize he was doing it until after; his body just seemed to react on its own.

“Hop, what are you doing?!” he hissed at him as he held the toy away from him at an arm’s length.

Hop looked up at him, looking startled to be jostled so unexpectedly. “W-what?”

“Don’t do that! People might see you!” Leon warned.

As Hop met his eyes, his initial surprised expression slowly shifted into bewilderment. “Don’t do _what_? It’s just a plushie, Lee,” Hop retorted with just an edge of annoyance in his voice. “Is that such a bad thing?”

He faltered. “I…”

_Was_ it a bad thing? It may have been questionable that Hop had decided to kiss a toy of his own brother, but… perhaps he was just playing along with the joke. And they were far enough from the main attractions that no one would’ve been around to see them anyway. No real harm was done.

In retrospect, Leon completely blew his reaction out of proportion.

“No,” he finally answered. “Sorry, I just…”

Just as quickly as he took it, Leon pushed the plushie back into Hop’s hands. He couldn’t get himself to meet Hop’s eyes even though he could feel them boring into the side of his skull, let alone look in his direction.

“Lee..?”

“Sorry,” Leon said again. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Hop. You didn’t do anything bad. I was just…”

… Scared that he was projecting his own feelings onto him and making something out of nothing. Scared that he was being a bad influence because of it. Scared that Hop might forever hate him for how he felt and that their relationship would change forever.

He was scared about so many things. But he wasn’t able to bring himself to say them out loud. He couldn’t. Leon let out a heavy sigh.

Then something light was placed into his lap. Leon looked down.

It was the Leon plushie. A hand adjusted it so it sat upright in his lap, then retracted.

Leon finally turned to look at Hop. 

“You can have him for now, if you want. To help you feel better,” he said, giving him his signature grin. “I think you need him more than I do.”

Leon kept silent as he turned his attention back to the plushie. The fabric was soft and surprisingly well made, he noted as he brushed his knuckles over the fur of its cape. And as he held the toy, he realized he could still feel the remnant heat from Hop’s body from when he held it flush against his chest.

It did make him feel better, if only by a minute amount. Any gift from Hop could never failed to cheer him up.

“Thanks Hop,” Leon flashed him a soft smile. “I’ll keep him safe, I promise.”

“Good,” Hop nodded happily, until he quickly shifted his expression into something serious. “But I want him _back_ later though. I won him fair and square.”

That got a laugh out of Leon. “Of course. Don’t worry, you’ll get him back,” he promised.

They fell quiet after that. The two remained on the park bench, simply enjoying the cool summer air and the bright and colourful lights of the city. And though Leon’s mind was still busy with worries and fears, the warmth from Hop’s arm and leg grazing against his own brought him silent comfort.

There was one thought that didn’t want to seem to leave him though, no matter how hard he tried to quell it from his mind.

He looked down at the plushie in his lap. Slowly, his fingers drifted up to its face and brushed against the toy’s mouth— right where Hop’s were not long ago, and Leon’s pulse quickened.

A feeling of longing shot through him. Never before had Hop’s lips been so close to his, yet so far away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alt chap title: sibling shenanigans with your brother slash love interest
> 
> hey remember this fic? the one that was meant for valentine's day? yeah.
> 
> so it turns out i'm splitting this fic AGAIN into a 3rd part for the conclusion. it'll be out VERY soon. all it needs is a buff and a shine and it'll be good to go. it would've been put out altogether, if i weren't so excited to get something out for you guys again.
> 
> i'm over at @brewshipping on twitter if you like some more leehop. thank you.


	3. (and the sixth)

\----- vi ----- vi -----

It was almost time for the late night fireworks.

Finding their way to the Galar Hurricane wasn’t a problem. The wheel itself looked like a rainbow; its lights shone a plethora of vibrant colours in celebration of the Wyndon Gale. Not to mention, the wheel was large enough to be in sight at almost all angles of the carnival.

However by the time they had arrived at the ride, the line to get to the attraction had extended so long that Leon couldn’t even tell where it ended.

It seemed like they weren’t the only ones who had the idea to watch the fireworks from the Hurricane.

“Hm. It looks like everyone had us beat,” said Hop beside him, saying exactly what he was thinking.

At the rate the line was going, the fireworks would go off long before they got to the ride.

But Leon wasn’t so easily deterred. He had a plan to get them on the ride in time for the fireworks.

“Follow me,” Leon said as he grabbed onto Hop’s hand.

Together they navigated through the crowd, sliding their way through and moving past groups of people until they could finally see the start of the line. Just a small distance away— right before the boarding zone— was a bored looking ride operator who was mindlessly accepting tickets and admitting people onto the ride.

Usually Leon didn’t like playing the card he was about to play. And considering how crazy their fans acted earlier today, Leon really _shouldn’t_ be doing this. But he wanted to take the risk. This was his and Hop’s day. They had a plan to do something together, and he wanted to make sure it went off without a hitch.

So with stride and confidence, Leon sauntered forward and waved a hand toward the ride operator to get their attention. “Excuse me,” he pardoned himself.

The operator turned towards Leon, raising an eyebrow at him. “Uh… can I help you?” they cautioned.

“Yes, actually,” he said and cleared his throat.

Leon raised his cap from his head and undid the bun that kept his hair tied up. Long, purple locks unfurled and cascaded down his shoulders, and Leon watched as recognition struck the operator’s face. With a smirk, he continued.

“I’m the former champion, Leon, and I’m here with my brother,” he gestured down at Hop standing next to him. From the corner of his eye, Leon thought he could see said brother giving him an incredulous look. But he paid him no mind as he carried on. “We’d really like to take a ride on the Hurricane so we can get a good view of the fireworks tonight. Do you think you could help us out with that?”

“C-Champion Leon, wow! I’m a big fan!” they exclaimed. Their mood had done a complete one-eighty in comparison to earlier. Leon could see their eyes light up in awe and disbelief that The Legendary Leon Himself was standing right in front of them. “Of course I can help! No problem! It’d be my pleasure!” they chattered excitedly. “I can get you on ASAP, you can join the next group getting on—”

“Oh… the next group?” Leon said, feigning a disappointed tone. “I was hoping it could just be me and my brother. It’s his first time at the Wyndon Gale, you see, and he’s only visiting for a short while…” he reasoned. “So I want to spend as much quality time with him as I can.”

“O-oh, well...” the operator faltered. “I understand, but usually we send folks up in groups of five or more to give more people an opportunity to ride. And with how long the line is right now, it may not be fair for just the two of you to go up on your own...” they trailed off.

“I see… perhaps we can come to some sort of an agreement?” Leon pondered. His eyes drifted up to the ball cap on their head and was suddenly struck with an idea. “If I sign your hat,” he proposed, “would you allow just the two of us to go up next?”

The operator didn’t even miss a beat. “Deal.”

 _Well that was easy,_ Leon thought as he turned to give Hop a grin.

Hop shot him a look that made him seem like he was simultaneously impressed and in disbelief.

After quickly signing the operator’s hat and giving them a quick ‘thank you’, the two briefly waited for the next cabin to come around. Its previous occupants clambered out once the cabin came to a halt. Then once they were ready, Leon and Hop stepped inside.

The pod was roomy and spacious and definitely meant for more than two people. The inside had a futuristic look to it, with soft LED lights circling the floor of the cabin. Meanwhile, the entire top half was made entirely of glass, giving them an impressive window to peer through and out to the outside world. 

The door shut behind them and slowly, their cabin began to lift off the ground. They raised higher and higher above the city line until the lights of vehicles and buildings were only twinkles below their feet. From there, Leon could see his apartment building, the Battle Tower, and even Wyndon Stadium on the opposite side of town— all illuminated by city lights.

Leon was no stranger to heights. Though he had flown on Charizard many times, as well as spent most of his time battling on the highest floor of the Battle Tower, there was never really time for him to relax and enjoy Wyndon’s view.

But when there was, Leon underestimated its beauty every time. The view of the city was truly beautiful.

“Wow… look at this view,” he breathed, taking in the sight before him. “What do you think, Hop?”

When Leon didn’t get a response, he turned to look at his brother. “Hop?”

Hop was currently staring out the window, one hand clenched while his other hand maintained a white-knuckle grip along the railing.

Curiously, Leon made his way over to stand behind Hop.

And that’s when he caught his reflection in the window. Hop’s expression was tense— his lips pursed, his brows furrowed, and his cheeks pale.

Leon clasped him on the shoulder. “You doing okay, ‘scotch?” he asked. Hop jumped at his sudden presence.

“Oh,” he inhaled, turning back to look at Leon with wide eyes. “Yeah... I’m fine,” he croaked out.

Obviously he wasn’t fine. And that’s when he remembered— for the second time that day— that Hop was scared of heights. Leon internally smacked himself.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. Guilt settled deep in his chest. Hop didn’t fare well with heights, and yet Leon suggested that they ride the Hurricane to begin with. “Maybe we shouldn’t have—”

“No! I mean—” Hop interjected sharply. His eyes briefly glanced out the window again before they dropped to the floor. “I wanted to do this. I just didn’t realize how high this was… that’s all,” he said, his voice wavering just the slightest.

Leon’s mouth pulled into a frown, unsure if Hop was truly going to be alright. He tried to think of ways to help reassure or soothe his brother, and he recalled the times when he and Hop were young.

Hop cried a lot as a kid. _A lot_. Be it from loud thunderstorms, or from a stubbed toe, or because he missed his older brother, he would sob and wail constantly until he grew tired. That is, until one day Leon found a solution.

Hop reacted well to physical touch— specifically _Leon’s_ touch. As long as they were in physical contact in some way, Hop would ease into his touch and stop crying shortly after. And if that wasn’t enough, sometimes he liked to rub Hop’s back, or hold his hand, or brush his hair with his hands.

Even when his mother couldn’t get Hop to stop crying and all else failed, Leon could somehow always get him to relax. It worked without fail, every time.

It had been a long time since he needed to comfort Hop like that, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to try now.

So that’s why Leon decided to swing his arm around Hop’s shoulders and pull him in tight against his body.

He heard Hop suck in a breath then let it out with a low exhale. Slowly, he could sense Hop’s breathing begin to even out and his grip on the railing begin to slacken, until his arm fell to his side.

“Thanks, Lee…” Hop murmured quietly, and Leon gave him a gentle squeeze in response.

They were quiet after that. The two watched in silence as they stared out over the horizon, watching the city lights flicker as they slowly rose above it, simply enjoying the view and enjoying each other’s presence. Enjoying each other’s company. Enjoying each other’s warmth and touch.

By the way that Hop sank into his touch, Leon would say that his plan had worked. But as it turned out, Leon was so busy soaking up his brother’s body heat that he didn’t notice that it had soothed _him_ as well. He felt happier and relaxed.

Leon enjoyed the softness of Hop’s upper arm as he rubbed him in a reassuring sort of gesture, as well as the goosebumps that raised along his skin. And as he did, Hop nestled closer into Leon’s chest— a soft sigh escaping his lips.

Leon caught his blushing cheeks reflected in the window. If there was any space between him and Hop before, it was now non-existent. Hop had completely relaxed and seemed perfectly content with having their bodies press totally flushed against each other. Leon didn’t dare move, lest he disturb him and ruin the moment.

“Thanks for inviting me to Wyndon. Today was really fun,” Hop murmured, his voice low. “... I missed this. Just, hanging out with you, y’know.”

Leon’s throat caught, but he managed to find his voice for a single word. “Yeah,” he managed to say. But he wanted to say so much more. Like how much he missed it too, and that they should spend more time together.

Like _this_. Especially like this. And wow, weren’t they ever close? Leon felt so hyper-aware of the rise and fall of Hop’s chest, that all of his senses felt like they were amplified. As if he could hear the thrum of Hop’s heartbeat or his slow, steady breathing if he listened close enough.

Then Hop turned to him. Any tension that was on his face had dissipated, and he stared at Leon with lidded eyes, and spoke in a soft whisper:

“I missed _you_.”

Leon subconsciously tightened the grip around Hop’s body. The low, almost secretive tone of Hop’s voice sent a shiver right down his spine. But he wasn’t cold. Leon was hot, and he was only getting hotter the longer he was around Hop. Hop knew exactly which buttons to make Leon blush, regardless of if he realized he was doing it or not.

“M’missed you too…” Leon whispered the only thing that came to mind, through all the heat and steam filling his thoughts.

They were only silent for a moment before Hop spoke up once again.

“Lee.”

Hop said quietly as he gently pried away from their embrace and turned to face Leon. Relief and disappointment that they were no longer touching quickly flashed through him before he gave Hop his full attention.

“Yes?” Leon asked.

“There’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Hop began, sounding timid. “Do you mind bending down a bit?”

Leon gave him a curious look, but did what was asked of him. He bent forward so his face was more level with Hop’s. “Like this?” he questioned.

“Yeah,” Hop replied. “Now close your eyes.”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “Hop?”

“Just trust me.”

Leon inhaled deeply. Then on his exhale, he closed his eyes.

For a moment, there was nothing. Nothing happened in the darkness of his closed eyes, nor the silence of the pod. All Leon could do was wait patiently, yet nervously, for Hop to do whatever it was he wanted to do.

Then a moment later, something soft and warm pressed against his lips.

Leon’s eyes snapped open. Dead in front of his face was Hop, with his own eyes closed, gently pushing his lips against Leon’s own. It was sloppy and unpracticed, but it felt good. _Hop_ felt good, kissing him so tenderly and innocently.

And then his brain finally caught up to his mouth.

He was kissing Hop. Hop was kissing him.

They were _kissing_ at this very moment.

Leon instinctively pulled back. His heart felt like it was racing a mile a minute. “Hop?!” he yelped.

Hop didn’t react to Leon’s surprise. Instead his expression was collected and steady as he stared deeply into Leon’s eyes. “I like you, Lee,” he confessed. “Not just as my brother, but I mean, I _like_ like you. As in… y-you know.”

“I…”

Leon didn’t know what to do or say. His face had begun to burn up as he stood there, repeatedly stumbling and fumbling over his words in an attempt to say something, _anything_. But his mind was moving so fast that he didn’t even know where to start.

Hop liked him? As something more? Did he mean... he _loved_ him? Were Leon’s feelings for Hop, by some impossible means, actually recuperated? Did Leon have a chance? Question after question layered themselves on top of each other. Questions that demanded answers, 

“Lee…? Are you okay?”

Hop’s tiny voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he snapped his head towards him.

As Leon had stood there silently trying to work out his surprise and disbelief, Hop’s poker face had broken and begun to fall. That’s when he realized Hop had probably been waiting for a response on Leon’s end, and had interpreted the silence to be his answer.

“I’m sorry,” Hop spoke again, but now his voice had taken on a fearful note. “It’s okay if you hate me, I just thought… I…”

Leon had to say something. Now.

“No, Hop, I’m. I. It’s,” Leon stuttered again. He forced himself to take a deep breath and slow down before trying to speak again. “I didn’t know that— I mean I never thought that you… you might like me back in that way…?”

An uncomfortable and prolonged pause filled the air around them. Leon watched as Hop’s face shifted through a few different ranges of emotions. Relief, happiness, then slight puzzlement. Then...

“... Leon. Are you for real?” Hop finally said as he put a hand to his forehead, sounding exasperated. “I’ve been trying to drop hints that I like you all day.”

 _… Huh?_ Leon blinked rapidly. “W-What?”

“Let’s see,” Hop held out one hand, counting on his fingers as he went through his list. “I’ve complimented you countless times, I gave you a toffee Applin, then I _licked_ the toffee off your face. Heck I even kissed a plushie of you _in front_ of you!” he exclaimed while running his hands through his hair. “And you never noticed?”

“No! I mean, I did!” Leon said earnestly. “I just thought… you’d never like me like _that_ and that I was just imagining it. And maybe I was making myself believe that there was something happening between us because only _I_ wanted it… and you didn’t,” he confessed.

It was the first time he had ever spoken about his feelings for Hop out loud. And now that he finally did, it was like a pressure he didn’t realize was weighing him down was finally lifting off of him. Finally, Leon could breath.

Hop let out a half laugh, half sigh. “Of _course_ I want it,” he said. “I think so highly of you, Lee. Even though we don’t get much time to hang out these days, you’re always on my mind.”

“Oh, Arceus…” Leon’s voice was muffled from him burying his head in his hands. The combination of Hop’s words and Leon’s own frayed emotions was making the blood rush to his face like crazy. Leon didn’t know if he could take much more. “H-How long?” he managed to ask.

“How long?”

“How long have you liked me?”

“Um…”

Now it was Hop’s turn to be flustered. His cheeks instantly flushed a deeper shade and he scratched at the back of his head nervously. “A long time. Since… well,” he trailed off as he paused to think, “I don’t know, exactly. Maybe for as long as I can remember. Whenever I thought about who I admire most and who I wanted to spend my future with… I always thought of you,” he admitted.

“Hop…” Leon breathed.

Their eyes met, and Leon’s whole world fell apart.

Hop was beautiful. Leon knew this to be a fact. He was beautiful in so many ways. In every single way, from his openness and honesty about his feelings, to his personality and his devotion to his goals. Leon found it all beautiful. But above all, Hop was just plain _handsome_.

The LEDs along the floor reflected in his wide golden eyes and encased his skin in a soft glow, making him look almost radiant. Leon thought that out of all the lights he could see outside, Hop was the brightest one of them all. He was the only view Leon wanted to look at right now. He was the only thing he wanted.

And with how close they were and the way Hop gazed at him, his mouth remained ever so slightly open, Leon thought he could have him.

He _could_ have him. All he had to do was close the last remaining gap between them.

Leon pulled Hop flush against his chest. Closing his eyes, Leon drew near.

And for a second time that night, they kissed.

Hop’s mouth moved against his own. He was warm and wet and sweet and everything Leon could’ve ever asked for, but _more_. He felt like an entirely new, exciting experience. He also felt like home. Familiar and comforting.

Leon was spun sugar melting in water; he had dissolved under Hop’s mere touch. His awareness of anything that didn’t involve Hop seemed to just fade away.

At that moment, Hop was his very world. And Leon wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Suddenly a loud ‘bang’ filled his ears, followed by a bright light that filtered its way through his eyelids. Leon opened his eyes.

Outside, bright colours had transformed the night sky into an art show. Neon flashes of purple and yellow, of red and blue filled the sky above them, taking on different shapes and patterns.

The fireworks had begun.

“Hop,” Leon had tried to say, but the moment he had pulled away to speak, Hop was on him again, his mouth pushing unrelentingly against his lips.

“Hop. Hop!” He tried again. “Stop for a sec, we’re missing the fireworks.”

Leon gently pushed Hop away, but not hard enough so that he would get the hint. This time, Hop seemed to clue on to what Leon was saying and he pulled away, breathless.

“Sorry,” he breathed, wiping his sleeve along his mouth. “I just,” Hop paused mid-sentence as he blushed. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long. I-I just didn’t want it to stop.”

Leon smirked. “We’ll have plenty of time for that. I promise,” he purred, and although the fireworks were loud in the background behind them, Leon thought he heard Hop suck in a breath.

“You had better hold up that promise,” Hop said in a low voice. “I’ll be looking to collect later.”

Leon chuckled. “Don’t worry,” he answered in a similar tone, “so will I.”

They then turned their attention towards the fireworks. Leon held Hop from behind with his arms around his torso, watching the show with his chin resting on top of Hop’s head. And Hop seemed perfectly content with simply allowing Leon to touch him.

Occasionally Leon would glance at their faces reflected against the window and watch Hop stare at the fireworks in awe. It filled his heart with a warm feeling that fluttered through his chest, one that Leon had felt several times before.

It felt like appreciation and admiration for someone amazing.

It felt like everlasting, deep-seated devotion.

It felt like love.

For the first time in a very long time, Leon no longer felt shame for his feelings for Hop. Knowing that his love was returned filled him with deep relief and joy. And though there was still a lot they needed to work out, like what was next for their relationship, how they would manage it, and what it meant for the future… all of that could wait until later. 

As Leon stared out the window with Hop nestled snugly against his chest, Leon had a feeling everything would be okay. Right now, they had this moment together. Right now, they had each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leon: wdym you like me?? i thought you were just being like, idk, brotherly  
> hop, thru tears, already undressing: god you're stup id,
> 
> finally, here's the last part! sorry for taking so long to complete it LOL but this fic was a blast to write. it was meant to be all fluff and nothing but fluff, so i think i achieved just that.
> 
> i'm always over at @brewshipping on twitter if you wanna talk leehop. thanks for reading <3


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